‘Abstract Art definition: An art form that represents ideas (by means of geometric and other designs) instead of natural forms.’
I found myself pondering what fuels my paintings recently, given its abstract aspect with specific intent that it not represent anything objectively perceived. (I was going to add “subjectively perceived” too but that territory soon gets tricky: Is there a difference between subjective perception and subjective feeling? It seems simple: One is perception, the other feeling, but in terms of how that translates to actual paint on canvas (or paper, wood, cow-pats, etc.) – hmm ... the feeling, once located, begins to reach out for visual potentialities, and does this not then become perception?)
So, is there “objective” stuff that inspires or is it a “subjective” kinaesthetic-type responsive engagement with body-mind-soul in the context of applying paint?
I think the answer is that it’s both.
Very rarely is there anything I see objectively that translates into a painting. I have tried this (like trying to create a synthesis of ocean waves colliding with rock formations along the Sydney coastline) with abysmal results. (Admittedly, if the experiment was compelling enough to encourage persistence, success may have ensued.)
Getting back to the title of this art-blah: What inspires me to paint abstract stuff? Yes I outlined the essence of this in the rather lofty and ‘abstract’ first paragraph of my Artist’s Statement: “An urge to express ‘something’ in response to the wonder and mystery of life ...”)
Can I translate that?
There are nuts n’ bolts, meat n’ potato things that do inspire. It’s mostly colours, like: The tobacco stain from water seeping into my cigarette paper; Lemon yellow flowers amidst a green leaved backdrop (backlit and appearing more luminous); Vivid violet little fishies in Clovelly Bay; Paint splotches on the drop cloth in the painting room; The transparent yellow of my cigarette lighter (this prompted a painting called “Yellow Rhino”).
Then of course there’s stormy clouds, sunsets, urban detritus, and abstract paintings by other painters.
And there’s more.
The above-mentioned nuts n’ bolts shares are true but I feel a need to elaborate on the ‘Mystery’ thing a bit further (for this drives the interest in painting fundamentally and without which I may not even be doing it).
Being human on Earth is challenging for all of us. Doing this (human thing) till death is not enough for me (re: “Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow” movie type thing). Painting stuff doesn’t solve the challenge. However, it does provide a body-mind-soul avenue of expression in response to the Mystery – not only of being human here on Earth at this time, but also, that anything “Is”* at all.
That’s the ‘meat’ of my potato paintings.
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*I’m reminded of a talk Adi Da gave called “The Five Declarations of Ultimate Knowledge”. In it he references one of his books titled “Is”.